When I was a child, I loved dandelions. I would merrily pick my mom a bouquet of the greatest collection of dandelions anywhere. I would make sure the stems were slightly varied in length, so that they looked nicely in the vase that my mom lovingly made them home in. I would make necklaces, bracelets, collect them, draw them, and cry when they were killed or mowed.As an adult I realize that they are a nuisance, a pest, a struggle to destroy. They can make a perfectly green lawn flawed with its bright yellow face. You know your lawn is in danger if they get to the point of turning to seed.
However, if they turn to seed, you can pluck them (carefully), walk them to the middle of the road, and blow them (downwind), making a simple wish.
A wish that they could figure out why my sweet son who is "normal" 90% of his life, gentle, funny, brilliant, witty... struggles with behavior, with hardly-noticable-tics, cries at a whim, isn't growing much, worries about everything, obsesses about everything else... A wish that the specialists could decide, is it Anxiety? Tourette's, Asperger's? All of the above? How can I help him? How can I build his confidence? How can I help him see that even though he feels like he's a dandelion in my perfectly green lawn, that dandelions are so beautiful really... with their bright yellow face. What would we do if there were no dandelions in the world? I think my dandelion makes my green lawn appear greener.
It's all in the eyes of the beholder. Your weed is my herb. Dandelions are a wonderfully nutritious food in the spring. Our ancestors ate the young tender greens as a spring tonic to help rebuild their systems for the heavy labor of the planting season after the slower work of the winter. Different is not the same as bad.
ReplyDeleteThat was exactly what I was meaning. Different isn't the same as bad. Right now is just a change in my way of life that I'm growing accustomed to. I haven't changed, Bear hasn't changed, but our perspective is. And usually that's a good thing.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Thank you for the perspective. Truly.
ReplyDeleteI can relate a little, and it's very true. Sometimes you feel as if you are losing the battle and then there are those awesome times that make it all worthwhile. Different is definitely not bad, and I too, like the dandelions. I hope you can figure it out, but in the meantime, I will pray for you and your family.
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